Frozen – Page 13 – The Celiathlete

June 6, 2014

Product Review: Aldi liveGfree Gluten Free Cheese Pizza

Product: Aldi liveGfree Gluten Free Cheese Pizza – $4.99

The other night, I blogged about the liveGfree gluten-free product line, which was introduced to the market at the beginning of May (also Celiac Awareness Month…so I see what they did there!). They have an entire line of mixes, snacks, pastas, and even some frozen items. I was blown away the day I stopped in at Aldi…and pretty much walked out of there with one of everything (save for the mixes, because I have so many at the moment I need to work through first!).

I walked out of my local Aldi with a lot of food…and all of it rang up under $30.00. This is huge for me because my budget on groceries is ridiculous. Seriously. I am always over budget…but I have to eat and I have to buy specialty foods in order to do so. So, I make cuts other places in order to be able to properly feed myself.

Now, recently, I had been moving away from having a lot of processed foods in my apartment. And that meant I had a rather empty freezer. But that changed. Oh…boy…did that change.

One of the products that I returned home with that afternoon was the liveGfree Gluten Free Cheese Pizza.

I am actually very, very picky about my gluten-free pizzas. You might have noticed. HA! And it is very rare that a gluten-free frozen pizza really intrigues me. There are some that do, and, there have been some that have been really good. Heck, some have been better than some gluten-free pizzas I have had at restaurants. I was actually a little reluctant about cooking this up for dinner…because I didn’t want it to suck. This was dinner, after all. That might have been the reason I baked up some kale chips to have with the pizza. Subconsciously, of course.

Aldi liveGfree Gluten Free Cheese Pizza (frozen)

That being said…I got home from work tonight and pulled out my pizza stone. I arranged the racks in the oven and got my stone in there to warm as the oven preheated. I pulled the box out of the freezer and flipped it open, checking to see how much pizza I would be eating that night. After checking and double checking the serving size (it’s a small-ish box), I realized that my roommate and I were to feast off the pizza over the course of two nights. Two nights! Four servings…two slices each.

I opened up the box and removed the pizza. It was smaller than a standard dinner plate. In fact…it was just small. The pizza itself was on a pale crust. I removed my now warm stone from the oven and took the plastic wrap off the pizza. Barely any crust or sauce was evident under the layer of frozen cheese that was on top. I placed the pizza on the stone and tossed it into the oven to bake. It takes about 10 minutes at 450°F.

Aldi liveGfree Gluten Free Cheese Pizza (baked)

Ten minutes later, I pulled the pizza out of my oven…and was amazed. The frozen cheese had gotten that nice bit of golden color to it, and it had turned all gooey and rich and melty. The sauce was now visible through the cheese. And the crust…had plumped up. WHAT?! No cracker crust??!! A little bit of joy spread through my heart when I noticed that.

I got out my pizza cutter and sliced the pizza into fourths, then cut those into two slices each. I actually was glad I made the kale chips because these slices of pizza were so small! Little-bitty-baby pizza slices. Ah well. I put them on the plate with a healthy helping of kale chips and dinner was served.

Point of interest. The pizza didn’t suck. In fact, it was decent. Cathy compared it to Totino’s Pizza. You know…those crappy, but you love them, frozen pizzas you used to eat?! I haven’t had one in years…so I don’t even remember what they taste like!! But, that’s what Cathy said it reminder her of eating. And she loved how much cheese was on there. I concur. Usually frozen pizzas skimp of the toppings, but the cheese was the star of this Cheeze Pizza. The crust had a bit of thickness to it, and turned a nice golden color. It was soft, not really crunchy…but still good. I appreciated having an actual crust more than anything. The toppings were basic and simple, but they melted and warmed up beautifully in the oven. When it involves gluten-free pizza…it’s all about that crust. And I think the liveGfree crust on the Gluten-Free Cheese Pizza definitely shines.

Ingredients in the crust of this pizza are basic…rice flour, corn starch, whole eggs, water, canola oil, baking powder, sugar, salt, tapioca dextrin, yeast, guar gum, xanthan gum, and sodium alginate. The toppings on the pizza include tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, romano cheese, roasted garlic, and olive oil. Not the best of ingredients, but not a laundry list and not too horrible in the grand scheme of things. And definitely not bad for budget gluten-free frozen food!

Nutritionally speaking, this cheese pizza serves 4 people (small people with small appetites, I guess), with a serving being 2 slices. This serving will provide you with 170 calories and 7 grams of fat. These two slices of pizza also provide 40 mg of cholesterol, 210 mg sodium, and 2 grams of sugar. This serving will also give you 2 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein. Trust me…you will not feel full after eating just 1/4 of this pizza.

But…at least it tastes good.

I know…it’s frozen…it’s processed…but it fits my budget…it’s quick…and it actually surprised me…it tasted good! I really hope Aldi keeps the liveGfree line in their stores. They will definitely see me there more often if they do! I can’t wait to see what the other products I purchased taste like!

Two small slices of the Aldi liveGfree Gluten Free Cheese Pizza (served with homemade kale chips and a vegan lemon mayonnaise dipping sauce)

June 4, 2014

Product Review: Halo Top Creamery Vanilla Bean All Natural Light Ice Cream

Product: Halo Top Creamery Vanilla Bean All Natural Light Ice Cream – $5.49+

Cookies might be one of my favorite desserts in the world…but sometimes…you just can’t beat the sweet, savory, melty goodness of ice cream. I love ice cream. I love ice cream so much that I take a lactase supplement so I can eat it, as my lactose intolerance otherwise doesn’t handle the dairy well. And, where I can, I keep it dairy-free…sometimes you just want to try something new in that freezer section at the grocery store.

For a while now, I had been eying the Halo Top Creamery All Natural Light Ice Cream at my local natural food store. What really caught my attention, above everything else in that freezer, was that the pints declared that a serving contained 7 grams of protein and only 70 calories. I’m sorry…70 calories!!!!! Be still my ice cream loving heart!

Our local natural food store was having a great sale on this brand a couple weeks back, so Cathy and I gave a little bit of leeway to our budget and purchased two pints. One flavor…the lemon cake. The other…vanilla bean.

I’ve been wanting to dive into these since we bought them, but we had some cookies (ooooh…cookies!) to use up first. And then I made a Vegan and Gluten-Free Grasshopper Pie. But…to celebrate another marathon…we picked up a brownie from Annie May’s Sweet Café in Louisville, Kentucky, with the original thought to take it to our local ice cream shop (Comfy Cow) and have them use it in a brownie sundae. But…with our budget tight due to some traveling for the marathon…I said we could make the sundaes at home. She agreed that saving money was a good idea…but…the sundae had to wait until…tonight. Three days after we purchased the brownie…we finally had a break in our dessert schedule to open up one of the ice cream pints.

The most logical choice, of course, was the Halo Top Creamy Vanilla Bean All Natural Light Ice Cream.

I love vanilla. Vanilla is the ultimate test of how good any ice cream is. Because if you can’t make a good vanilla…you can’t make good ice cream. Whenever I try a new ice cream brand, I usually opt for vanilla first. This is how I judge them. Seriously. I am an ice cream lover from my childhood. I know good ice cream. Halo Top Creamy spares no expense when it comes to making their Vanilla Bean flavor. They use pure Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Vanilla, which is the top of the line vanilla that money can buy. Honestly.

A 1/2 cup serving of Halo Top Creamery Vanilla Bean All Natural Light Ice Cream

So…this is how I utilized the Vanilla Bean ice cream from Halo Top Creamery. I started off by warming up the Gluten-Free Double Fudge Brownie from Annie May’s Sweet Café. I sliced it in half and put one half in each ice cream bowl. Then, I warmed up some hot fudge in the microwave. While that was warming, I scooped up a 1/2 cup serving of the Halo Top Creamery Vanilla Bean All Natural Light Ice Cream and gently placed it on top of the brownie slice. Once the hot fudge was ready, I drizzled it over the top, added some chopped pecans (or walnuts on Cathy’s sundae…as she prefers walnuts and I prefer pecans). And…it was time to dig in.

I was actually surprised with how rich and smooth this flavor was. The ice cream, much like the ice creams made from coconut milk or soy milk, definitely aren’t as soft and pliable when scooped, but the flavor was amazing. It crumbles a little, but that’s the nature of ice cream with very little fat in it. And very little sugar. In fact, one of my favorite aspects of this ice cream is that it has almost twice the protein as sugar. How’s that for epic? The ice cream might be a bit crumbly, but the flavor is outstanding. You want to get good vanilla ice cream, grab a spoon and dig into this guilt-free pleasure. The vanilla is really the star and you can tell that they pulled out all the stops when it came to creating this flavor. I was in love at first bite. And each one that followed, weather it was on its own or covered in fudge and accompanied by some warm brownie.

Are you drooling yet?

So, let’s look at what the Halo Top Creamery Vanilla Bean All Natural Light Ice Cream is made from. The ingredients are milk and cream, cultured nonfat milk, cage-free eggs, whey, erythritol, organic cane sugar, chicory root, casein protein, organic vanilla extract, organic vanilla beans, acacia gum, sea salt, organic carob gum, organic guar gum, carrageenan, and organic stevia. So…it has that damn carrageenan in it…but it’s not so bad otherwise. And the FAQ on the Web site does say that their ice cream is gluten-free and vegetarian! Some ice creams use gelatine. Not Halo Top Creamery!

As for the nutrition information…you’ll love this. A serving size is 1/2 cup. In this big scoop of ice cream, you will be provided with only 70 calories and 3 grams of fat. You will be taking in 43 mg of cholesterol, 89 mg sodium, and only 4 grams of sugar. In addition, you will be taking in 4 grams of fiber and 7 grams of protein. That’s incredible!

So, yeah…I was excited…and a bit nervous when it came to actually trying Halo Top Creamery’s All Natural Light Ice Cream. I was afraid it would be like…the nastiness that is Arctic Zero. GROSS! But it turns out that, the Vanilla Bean flavor, at least, is fantastic. It’s light and tasty and just…good. While the texture isn’t as creamy as you’d expect, it still works and it still tastes good. It’s one fine vanilla ice cream. And you won’t feel guilty piling it on top of a brownie and coating it with some hot fudge. Well, you shouldn’t at least. Honestly…I was actually pleasantly surprised when it came to the taste, texture, and all around flavor of Halo Top Creamery Vanilla Bean All Natural Light Ice Cream.

Find it. Try it. Indulge. Hitting the freezer has never been so guilt-free and simply delicious.

A Gluten-Free Brownie Sundae made with Halo Top Creamery Vanilla Bean All Natural Light Ice Cream (on a gluten-free double chocolate brownie, covered with hot fudge and chopped pecans)

June 3, 2014

Product Review: Aldi liveGfree Gluten-Free Blueberry Pancakes

Product: Aldi liveGfree Gluten-Free Blueberry Pancakes – $2.69

Thanks to a lot of really good friends and some coworkers, I found out that in the beginning of May (also Celiac Awareness Month…which I had every intention to blog about…and then May got insane and my blog got backlogged with all the traveling I was doing), Aldi was going to be test driving a line of gluten-free products in their stores.

The brand is currently being called liveGfree…and I really didn’t know what I was getting myself into when I stepped into Aldi that afternoon with my roommate. Almost immediately, we were surrounded by the white boxes that held the gluten-free products. From brownie mixes to bread mixes to snack bars to pastas to baking mixes, cookie mixes, and…gluten-free wraps. It was almost overwhelming.

If you’ve ever bought gluten-free products, you understand that they can be rather pricey at times. Gluten-free convenience foods, prepared foods, baked goods, and (especially) bread can cost up to twice as much as the regular gluten-filled products on the market. So imagine my glee and the happy gleam in my eyes when I noted the Aldi liveGfree price tags. Seriously, a gluten-free budget shoppers dream. I never have bought gluten-free products for these prices. Even more importantly, however, is that the entire line of liveGfree products are certified gluten-free. YES!

But an even happier dance happened after stocking up on some of the boxes and bags of items at the front of the store…because in the freezer section there was more! YES! MORE! And one of those items just happened to be the liveGfree Gluten-Free Blueberry Pancakes.

I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking…why can’t you just make your own gluten-free blueberry pancakes from scratch. Well…I can. And I have. And I will again. But this was a new product. I had to try it. I just had to. Even more so when I spotted the phrase “light and fluffy” on the box itself. Hmmm…really? Needless to say, the freezer I had worked so hard to clear out…is back to being full. HA! Same goes for the pantry.

I am not ashamed.

Well, Monday morning came around. And Monday morning is a busy morning for me. Not only do I run bright and early, but I also have a 5:30 a.m. spin class. So, I eat something before I run and then something after spin class. But, there isn’t a lot of time in between getting home from class, showering, and getting to work. The more convenient the breakfast the better. Especially since Cathy (the roomie) is nothing but a slug in the mornings…and really just sits on the couch and reads instead of fixing up something while I shower.

A package of three of the Aldi liveGfree Gluten-Free Blueberry Pancakes

That being said…this was going to be perfect. There are three ways to cook the liveGfree Gluten-Free Blueberry Pancakes. Yep. Three ways. One way I can negate because it involves a toaster oven…and I don’t have one. On Monday morning, I decided to cook them up in the conventional oven. So, I walked through the door and tossed my spin stuff to the side, hustled into the kitchen and preheated the oven to 375°F. While the oven was heating, I removed the box from the freezer and pulled out two of the pre-packaged stacks of three pancakes. Wouldn’t you know it…a serving size was three pancakes. Perfect. I opened up the packet and placed the pancakes on a baking sheet. I covered the pancakes loosely with foil and tossed them into the oven while I went to shower.

They were just finishing up when I emerged from my room, clean, clothed and ready to eat. I got out my maple agave syrup and gave it a little warm-up in the microwave. Then, I took the pancakes out of the oven and served them up with a little butter and hot syrup.

I wasn’t sure what sort of quality to expect from Aldi’s liveGfree Gluten-Free Blueberry Pancakes. But I delivered a plate of them to Cathy, who dug in. I asked her how they were and got the typical, “They’re pretty good!” Which I never know what that actually means. But she was diving in for more, so I took that as a good sign. I settled in with my own plate and gave them a try.

They really were light and fluffy. Seriously. Almost like they were homemade. You gotta love that. They are a bit small in size, but all frozen pancakes are, let’s be honest! They weren’t gummy or gritty. They were soft and light and packed with a buttermilk flavor with a delightful sweetness from the bits of dry blueberries that are incorporated throughout the little pancakes themselves. They were steamy and honestly tasted like I had just pulled them off the griddle.

Fast forward to Tuesday morning. This is a gym morning for Cathy and I. So, I bring breakfast to the office to do up quickly before settling in for a long day of paper pushing. Without the convenience of an oven at work, I was going to try the other way too cook these up – the microwave. For three pancakes, the box said to simply heat on high for 1 minute. Additional time might be needed depending on the microwave, but that’s never the case with the one at the office. Trust me! I heated them up for a minute, gave them the schmear of butter and the drizzle of the syrup…and they were served. I was actually more concerned about how these would taste after being nuked for a minute instead of toasted in an oven. They didn’t have that light crust that I love…but they were soft without being soggy. They remained light and fluffy and didn’t crumble because they were steamed or anything in the confines of the microwave. I was beyond impressed.

I admit…these definitely are not clean eating. But they are convenient. Ingredients in the liveGfree Gluten-Free Blueberry Pancakes include: water, rice flour, tapioca flour, sugar, soy flour, potato flour, blueberry bits, whole egg powder, baking powder, salt, and xanthan gum. I have seen longer ingredient lists than this…but you know the blueberry bits contain sugar, rice flour, dried blueberries, corn starch canola oil, fructose, natural colorings from concentrated juices (which include elderberry, watermelon and huito), natural flavor and sodium bicarbonate.

As for the nutrional information…it’s really not too bad. A serving size of liveGfree Gluten-Free Blueberry Pancakes is three pancakes (1 package). This serving provides you with 210 calories and 4 grams of fat. You will be taking in 40 mg cholesterol, 390 mg sodium, and 10 grams of sugar. Yep…I know…that’s a lot of sugar. You will also be taking in 1 gram of fiber (so they aren’t too filling) and 5 grams of protein.

As this is a trial run of a product line being done by Aldi, I really hope they decide to keep these in stores. With this being my first taste of all the products I purchased that day in Aldi, the liveGfree brand is already impressing me. Great flavor. Easy to make, and fantastic texture. While I prefer to make things from scratch, these are awesome for those busy mornings or evenings when you are in a hurry and short on time. Seriously. And you definitely can’t beat the price.

Aldi liveGfree Gluten-Free Blueberry Pancakes (fresh from the oven)

May 18, 2014

Product Review: So Delicious Dairy Free No Sugar Added Toasted Almond Chip Coconut Milk Frozen Dessert

Product: So Delicious Dairy Free No Sugar Added Toasted Almond Chip Coconut Milk Frozen Dessert – $6.99+

Mmm…ice cream.

I love ice cream. It’s the one treat I never like to say no to eating. However, being lactose intolerant, ice cream doesn’t always love me back. Even when I take a supplement to help with digestion…it doesn’t always work. As you can imagine, for someone who grew up eating ice cream no matter what time of year it was…this can be quite challenging.

But…thanks to products from So Delicious Dairy Free…I can still have my ice cream and at it too.

Well, technically, being dairy free it can’t be called “ice cream”…but more of a frozen dessert. And from So Delicious, the primary base of their products is…coconut milk.

YUMMY!

Back in April, I was running around my grocery store and my roommate said…”Did you see the no sugar added So Delicious ice cream over there?” I was all, “Um…NO!” And went tearing over to the freezer with the So Delicious and other dairy-free frozen desserts tucked inside. Over near the organic and natural foods, of course.

And there it was…a beacon of grocery store light shining down upon it. A little white container with a blue label wrapped around it declaring…”NO SUGAR ADDED!” This is my kind of dessert. Being the sweet tooth that I am, I’ve been desperately trying to cut back on sugar where I can. It’s not easy…but this…this was made for me. I didn’t even ask…I opened up that freezer door, pulled out a pint…and it came home with me that night.

And the other night…I was feeling ice cream. So, this finally had it’s moment to prove itself.

The grocery store had a few varieties in flavor to choose from, but my eye was drawn to the So Delicious Dairy Free No Sugar Added Toasted Almond Chip Coconut Milk Frozen Dessert.

Whew…that’s a mouthful.

A delicious mouthful!

But…I’m getting ahead of myself. After a light dinner, I went to the freezer and retrieved the little pint of dairy-free dessert goodness. I dished up a serving for Cathy and one for me. Since this is dairy-free with no sugar added, the ice cream was a bit…flaky. It isn’t as creamy as regular ice cream, so scooping it out was sometimes a challenge…but I measured out the serving and dished the goodness out to each of us.

All it took was one bite for me to know that this was going to be a match made in heaven. A delicious dairy-free, gluten-free, less-sugar-in-your-life kind of heaven. So, it wasn’t creamy…but it wasn’t an unpleasant sort of flaky. In fact, each spoonful would melt into creamy goodness in your mouth, and the bits of almond and flakes of chocolate would be the last things to dance across your tongue. Magic. Just pure spoonfuls of magic. I was loving it. And sad that I only had two more servings. Gone to soon, for sure. But…a delicious treat that I wasn’t expecting. I am a huge fan of coconut milk and things made with coconut milk. And the fact that this is lower in sugar makes me one happy girl. You wouldn’t really even know that it was low-sugar if you weren’t told. It really is that good!

I am out…and need more.

Soon.

Ingredient-wise…So Delicious Dairy Free uses organic coconut milk, gum arabic, chocolate flake, almonds, vegetable glycerin, chicory root extract, erythritol, natural flavors, sea salt, locust bean gum, guar gum, carrageenan (UGH!), and monk fruit extract in the No Sugar Added Toasted Almond Chip Frozen Dessert. So…not completely a clean eat…but, not the worst (by far) on ingredients. It is cholesterol-free soy-free, dairy-free, and gluten-free. It is certified kosher, vegan, and organic!

Nutritionally speaking, a serving of the So Delicious Dairy Free No Sugar Added Toasted Almond Chip Frozen Dessert is 1/2 cup. In this serving, you will be consuming 140 calories and 12 grams of fat (some of that is the healthy fats you get from coconut and almonds…so don’t panic!). You will also be consuming 80 mg sodium and 1 gram of sugar. Yes…you read that right…1 GRAM OF SUGAR!! LOVE!! In addition, you will be taking in 10 grams of filling fiber and 2 grams of protein. So much love for these nutrition facts. For real.

Love. That’s what this dessert is all about. Lots of dairy-free, tasty, ice-creamy love. The No Sugar Added variety of the Toasted Almond Chip Frozen Dessert from So Delicious Dairy Free may not be the creamiest of ice cream treats…but it brings the flavor. And the love. Especially to those of us who have problems with dairy. This is one of life’s greatest gifts to the ice cream lover in me. I need more.

Stat.

A serving of So Delicious Dairy Free No Sugar Added Toasted Almond Chip Coconut Milk Frozen Dessert

April 28, 2014

Product Review: O’Doughs Gluten-Free Apple Cranberry Bagel Thins

Product: O’Doughs Gluten-Free Apple Cranberry Bagel Thins – $3.99+

It had gotten to the point, as of late, where I had pretty much resigned myself to the fact that I was never, ever, ever…EVER going to stumble across the third flavor of gluten-free Bagel Thins from O’Doughs. Seriously. Because my local grocery store that actually stocks this brand only carries the Original and Sprouted Whole Grain Flax Seed versions.

And while I appreciate that…I was in search of ALL the Bagel Thins.

Leave it to Organic Harvest (my happiest place in Birmingham, Alabama), a natural food store in the aforementioned Birmingham, Alabama, to carry this particular product in their freezer section. And…because I think ahead…I had a cooler with me for transport back to Indiana when I finished up my visit with my family. I was actually in town for the Making Tracks for Celiacs 5K race with my mom (I ran; she walked) and the gluten-free expo that followed. All of that was fine and good, but with lunch looming at a diner where there is really nothing my mom or I can eat, we make our way over to Organic Harvest and pick up one of their small salads and usually a dessert to split between us. But, while there, I had permission to shop a little and pick up some items that I can’t find in Louisville.

YAY!

And so…I began to walk the aisles, scanning the shelves…looking for items of interest. Something that would grab me, shake me, and beg me to take it home. Not really though, because if food started to do that, I might scream and run away. But…if we’re just talking figuratively…I wanted to make the best decision as to what was coming home with me. Nothing worse than grabbing an item and then finding out it was crap.

Well, my roomie does get just as excited about gluten-free goodies as I do (which I love…since she can eat ALL the food and doesn’t have to eat gluten-free). And she spotted the O’Doughs Gluten-Free Apple Cranberry Bagel Thins in the freezer section while she meandered quicker through the store with my dad. She hurried over to find me…and alert me of this finding. I immediately said, “THAT…is definitely coming home with us!”

And so…it happened. Into the basket with a couple (I behaved) other items and my lunch for that day. We checked out, put things in the cooler, went to lunch, and then went back to my parents house to store the items in the freezer until we left the following morning.

With another trip looming, this time to Colorado (the iconic home of all things gluten-free and awesome!), I’m starting to work my way through some of these things. And, with my morning being a crazy hot mess with spinning and everything…well…something quick that could happen while I showered was ideal. So, out of my freezer came the O’Doughs Gluten-Free Apple Cranberry Bagel Thins.

I pulled out a baking sheet (I don’t own a toaster), and then sliced two of the bagel thins in half. I was expecting to see flecks of cranberry throughout, but I didn’t. Ah well. I never know what to expect. And as the oven was warming, I tossed the pan in and went to take a quick shower. By the time I was out and dressed, the bagel thins were toasted up and ready for the vegan cream cheese schmear. Breakfast was served (with a side of my left over Mustard Roasted Potatoes).

One thing that I do find is that bagel thins, while they are less calories, aren’t truly a bagel. I miss that doughy middle section and that crunch on the outside with the softness in the middle. That’s a bagel (spoken like a true New Yorker!). But…I also love to save some calories for other indulgences…like dark chocolate to keep me awake when I’m drowsing off at my desk. You know…those unexpected things in life. So, when you bite into one of O’Dough’s Gluten-Free Apple Cranberry Bagel Thins, you get a crunch. If you toast it…you get a crunch. And then…you get cream cheese. Even just using a serving size of the cream cheese…you get cream cheese.

But…when you break off a piece that didn’t get well schmeared with the cheese…and taste it on its own…you still kind of don’t get inundated with the flavors of the bagel thin itself. It does have a nice hint of sweetness to it, thanks to the apples and almonds. And you get some very mild undertones of cinnamon and raisins and maybe even some citrus. But it’s not strong. Which…is not a bad thing. You don’t want to overpower the product with too many flavors. However, I was hoping that the apple and cranberry flavor would really take a front seat here. Unfortunately, it didn’t. That being said, the texture and the taste of these little bagel thins are really good. And if you don’t want a strong flavor to your bagel thins, but you want little hints of it in each bite, these may be the way to go. These would also probably be really good with butter on top. But I’m a cream cheese girl at heart.

Let’s talk ingredients for a moment, shall we? The O’Dough’s Gluten-Free Apple Cranberry Bagel Thins are made from filtered water, potato starch, tapioca starch, chickpea flour, soya flour, whole grain rice flour, organic evaporated cane juice, cellulose fiber, dried apples, dried cranberries, raisins, glycerine, sunflower oil, yeast, sea salt, salba chia seed, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, dehydrated fruits and vegetables (oranges, apples cranberries, tomatoes, broccoli, shiitake mushrooms, carrots).

Hmmmm…tomatoes, shiitake mushrooms, broccoli and carrots in my bagel? Really?? REALLY??! That’s…different.

Nutritionally speaking, a serving size is one bagel thin. One of O’Doughs Gluten-Free Apple Cranberry Bagel Thins will supply you with 100 calories and 1 gram of fat. These thin little bagels have 300 mg sodium and 2 grams of sugar. They also have 2 grams of fiber and 2 grams of protein. They are cholesterol free, gluten-free, all-natural, and preservative free. These are an fantastic source of fiber as well. Oh, and those veggies I was talking about up there are part of the 7 different fruits and vegetables that are contained in these bagel thins…which is nutritionally equivalent to 2 servings of fruit and veggies. Go figure.

Overall, I thought these were pretty good. I wish these came sliced, however, because slicing a bagel thin is a tricky task. Cut one bit too thin and it gets burned in the toaster or oven. It’s all just about holding it right and cutting it right. If they came pre-sliced, things would be so much easier on all of us. Other than that…these were good. What they lack in appearance, they do make up for in taste. And that…is saying something.

If you haven’t been able to find O’Doughs Gluten-Free Apple Cranberry Bagel Thins in your grocery store…see if they can order them in. They are definitely worth trying. Especially if (like me) you are a cinnamon-raisin lover. It’s…sort of similar to that flavor.

O'Doughs Gluten-Free Apple Cranberry Bagel Thins with Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese — O’Doughs Gluten-Free Apple Cranberry Bagel Thins with Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese

The final flavor was the Apple Cranberry. These made for a nice change as they had the wonderful sweetness from, you guessed it, apples and cranberries with the subtle undertones of raisins, orange, and spicy cinnamon. These reminded me of my beloved cinnamon raisin bagels back in my pre-Celiac diagnosis days. Top them with either butter or cream cheese and you are really good to go – their flavor is just robust enough that anything other than a simple topping would likely be a mistake on these. – See more at: http://www.glutenfreemike.com/odoughs-new-bagel-thins/#.U17c_qKwVFY

April 9, 2014

Product Review: Celiac Specialities Gluten-Free Plain Croissant Style Rolls

Product: Celiac Specialties Gluten-Free Plain Croissant Style Rolls – $3.99+

Dear Celiac Specialties:

You had me at croissant.

For real!!

I mean…here I was…walking through the freezer section of a natural food store in Columbus, Ohio…and there you are…just screaming at me from your shelf in the freezer: CROISSANT.

Seriously…that was all I needed before jamming it into my rapidly filling basket and hoping the giant box wouldn’t take up too much of my allotted room. My roommate was treating me to gluten-free treats…things I couldn’t get anywhere else…but I had one medium-sized basket. My friend Jenn and I were pretty certain that we could “Tetris the shit” out of the basket with the products that were inside if needed. But…I was rapidly filling up and this box was one of the last items I put in. Mostly due to package size.

But…CROISSANT STYLE ROLLS! HELLO!

I wasn’t sure exactly how I wanted to utilize these, but I knew they were coming home with me. Fast forward to another meager living out of the pantry, fridge, and freezer week (I was out of town again, so no CSA bin). I happened to have some avocado on hand (because I always have that on hand) and a can of chickpeas, so I whipped up a delicious chickpea and avocado salad. I needed a vehicle in which to serve this on…and the Celiac Specialties Gluten-Free Plain Croissant Style Rolls were screaming (once again) to me from my own freezer. BINGO!

So, after a long day at work, I was ready for an easy dinner. I had set two of the four rolls in the box out on the counter to thaw in a bag. They did so beautifully. You can just eat them straight like that, but I like to toast my bread. So, I sliced the Gluten-Free Plain Croissant Style Rolls in half, drizzled lightly with olive oil, and popped them in the oven for about 5 minutes to lightly toast. While that occurred, I washed some baby kale and got the chickpea and avocado salad put together. When the Plain Croissant Style Rolls were ready, I popped them out of the oven and plated them. Then on went the kale and then a scoop of the chickpea and avocado spread.

Dinner was simple…and served.

When I first got these rolls out to toast, I noticed how light they were. Well, they were still light. Very light. In fact, toasting them didn’t really add any additional weight to them. I love that. Because so often bread can overshadow the dish. There is just so much of it. Well, this was not the case here. And upon taking my first bite, I found it to taste exactly like fresh bread right out of the oven. It had that crusty, warm, delicious, lightness to it. And it didn’t have any weird aftertaste or horrible flavor. It was just…plain bread. Very good plain bread. In a croissant roll form. And it was really, really good. I mean, really good. I was sad I only had 2 days worth of it, honestly. I liked it that much. Anything that can remind me of homemade, fresh bread is okay by me. Sure, this wasn’t seasoned with special flavors, but it’s honest-to-goodness good. And that’s all that matters.

Let’s look at the ingredients, shall we? Celiac Specialties Gluten-Free Plain Croissant Style Rolls are made from water, whole egg, tapioca starch, corn starch, corn flour, canola oil, potato starch, xanthan gum, sugar, rice flour, active dry yeast, and salt. That’s it. They are gluten-free and dairy-free.

As for nutrition… a serving size is 1 roll. In this roll, you will be consuming 110 calories and 3.5 grams of fat. One of the Celiac Specialties Gluten-Free Plain Croissant Style Rolls contains 50 mg cholesterol, 140 mg sodium, and 1 gram of sugar. That’s not too bad for bread. Trust me. You will also be taking in only 1 gram of fiber and 2 grams of protein. They are light and fluffy, remember…but not very filling. So, be sure you sandwich it up with something good and packed with both fiber and protein (like chickpeas and avocado!).

I wasn’t sure what these were going to taste like…and I admit, after my initial excitement, I was a bit worried that they would taste like cardboard…or worse. But that wasn’t the case. These actually tasted like real, “normal” bread rolls and I was thrilled that I made the decision to go ahead and give them a try. I hope I can find more of the various products that Celiac Specialties sells so I can give those a try as well.

Next time…two boxes.

Chickpea and Avocado Salad Sandwich made with Celiac Specialties Gluten-Free Plain Croissant Style Rolls

April 8, 2014

Product Review: Katz Gluten Free Everything Bagels

Product: Katz Gluten Free Everything Bagels – $5.99

You know…I’ve had a difficult time finding decent and delicious gluten-free bagels. Being that I grew up in New York, bagels are more than just breakfast. They are a thing. No…really. They are religion. And when you are able to eat “normal” bagels, finding a good one isn’t a problem, even outside of the Bagel State of the World.

When you are gluten-free, however…this can be a task. I struggled to find a tasty and authentic bagel after I had to go gluten-free. There were so many failures. In texture, taste, and even size. I am a bagel connoisseur. I know what makes a good bagel…and the gluten-free ones just weren’t making the cut. And I was depressed.

My friend, Sara, who at the time was gluten-free, pointed me in the direction of Udi’s bagels. They were pricey…but…damn…they tasted just like the bagels I grew up eating. I was beyond impressed. And to this day, they are one of (now three) brands that I will all-out purchase because I trust that they will be good. O’Doughs Gluten-Free Bagel Thins are another. And…Katz Gluten Free rounds out the Trifecta of Gluten Free Bagel Awesomesauce™.

Katz Gluten Free introduced the bagels to their already amazing lineup of delicious gluten-free baked goods last year. I was stoked. I couldn’t wait to try them. But then…I just never got around to ordering them. When I had to order the $35 loaf of Gluten Free Braided Challah Bread…I added on some items to take me to $50 for the free shipping. One of these items was the Katz Gluten Free Everything Bagels.

FINALLY!!

And this morning, I pulled them out of my freezer to finally give them a try.

First of all…keep in mind that Everything Bagels are not meant to be clean. As in…they are coated in seeds and seasonings and…well…you are going to make a mess. It just happens. But, you see, Everything Bagels are the iconic bagel. They have all the best toppings in one place. They are legendary. And they are delicious. I hoped the Katz Gluten Free version would be as good as the ones I grew up eating.

After allowing two of the four bagels that come in a pack thaw on the counter while I went to my spin class, I returned home and turned on my oven. I removed the bagels from the ziplock bag I had them in to thaw and eased their pre-sliced halves apart. I set each one on a baking sheet and threw them into the oven to toast while I took a quick shower before having to head to work.

They toasted up beautifully. Sheer bagel toasting perfection. As I emerged, now dressed for work and no longer a hot, sweaty mess I pulled them from the oven and put a schmear of vegan cream cheese on each half. I served up one bagel to my roommate (who has had Everything Muffins, but not an Everything Bagel) and allowed her to dive in while I put the cream cheese on my own halves, poured my coffee, and went to tuck in to my own brekkies.

One bite…and I was transported back to my bagel-eating days of yore. For real. These bagels are packed…and I mean packed with flavor and all the authentic ingredients of a “real” Everything Bagel. Katz Gluten Free knows exactly how to make bagels. This was spot-on perfect in taste, texture, and…yes…even size. Udi’s Gluten Free Bagels can be a bit…large (but, OMG…SO YUMMY!), and the bagel thins are made to be thin without as much bread. This…this is the happy medium. Seasoned to perfection. No lacking in any of the toppings. Gluten Free Bagel of Everything and More!! WOW!

I’m already salivating knowing I still have two more in my freezer.

Let’s talk ingredients, as we always do. The Katz Gluten Free Everything Bagel is made from a gluten-free flour blend (tapioca, white rice, brown rice, potato, soy, corn), egg whites, water, cellulose fiber, oil, corn syrup, sugar, cellulose gum, yeast, salt, corn fiber, soy lecithin, lactic acid, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, minced garlic, and minced onion! Yep…that’s an Everything Bagel to me. These are not just gluten-free but also dairy-free.

Nutritionally speaking, these aren’t bad for bagels. Not at all. A serving size is one bagel. This serving will provide you with 250 calories and 9 grams of fat. You will also be getting 150 mg sodium and 6 grams of sugar. These are cholesterol-free. In addition, you will be consuming 12 grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein, so you will certainly feel full. That’s always nice!

Oh yeah…Katz Gluten Free Everything Bagels are definitely a hit. I intend to stock my freezer with them more often. For sure. If you haven’t tried them yet…get right on it. You will thank me for it later.

Katz Gluten Free Everything Bagel toasted with a schmear of Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese

March 31, 2014

Product Review: Sophie’s Kitchen Breaded Vegan Calamari

Product: Sophie’s Kitchen Breaded Vegan Calamari – $5.99+

This is it!

The final product from Sophie’s Kitchen for me to review. Well, there are a couple other products out there, just none that I have found in this area yet. All the ones that are available in the various natural food stores around here…have now been eaten, consumed, and reviewed. It all ends here…with Sophie’s Kitchen Breaded Vegan Calamari.

Yes…my freezer has now been cleared of my delicious vegan seafood. And the Vegan Breaded Calamari is another fine example of how Sophie’s Kitchen is doing vegan seafood well! I mean…I was blown away.

Back before I became a vegetarian, I began eating calamari after moving to Indiana. My roommate and her family were huge fans of splitting the appetizer calamari at any restaurant it was offered in…especially Red Lobster. That being said, I grew to have a taste for the little rubbery rings of…squid. But after making a conscious decision to go vegetarian…I gave up seafood and all other meats. And when going gluten-free was necessary, anything breaded went the way of the dodo in my diet.

Until…Sophie’s Kitchen brought breaded “seafood” back into my life.

The other night, the Breaded Vegan Calamari remained in my freezer. And as I had been out of town and had no fresh produce bin delivered…I was living out of my pantry, fridge, and freezer. This seemed like an easy enough thing to prepare for dinner. All I hoped for was that it would live up to the standards and quality of the other Sophie’s Kitchen products I had in the past.

I should have known it wouldn’t disappoint.

Sophie's Kitchen Breaded Vegan Calamari (frozen) — Sophie’s Kitchen Breaded Vegan Calamari (frozen)

Sophie’s Kitchen Breaded Vegan Calamari is so simple to prepare. You can do it in either the oven or a skillet, but I opted for the oven this time. I placed the Breaded Vegan Calamari rings on a pan and put them in the oven for about 15 minutes. When I retrieved them, they smelled amazing and were now a beautiful golden brown. I plated the rings and served it up with some marinara for dipping (because calamari should always be eaten with marinara…always!). My roommate and I tucked into our basic, simple dinner…and we were both once again WOWED! I mean…totally in awe at how accurate the texture and taste of these vegan seafood products are to the real thing. I loved how the Breaded Vegan Calamari rings had that bit of rubbery texture…just like actual calamari. I thought it had amazing flavor, and the breading was more than seasoned correctly and packed with amazing flavor. I might have devoured mine in record time. I told my roommate that this one was ranking up there in popularity as far as my favorites to eat. So delicious. Beyond impressed. And now I want to restock my freezer with all of the products again…and work my way through them once more. This just clinches the fact that Sophie’s Kitchen makes high quality products that gluten-free vegans can enjoy!

So…what exactly is vegan seafood made from? Well, the Sophie’s Kitchen Breaded Vegan Calamari is made from water, konjac powder, beta glucan, potato starch, organic agave nectar, sea salt, canola oil, rice flakes (from brown rice), potato starch, turmeric, white pepper, carrageenan, alginate, and calcium hydroxide. Is it clean eating…nope. Not even close. But…it’s not too bad as processed, frozen products go. Not at all. These are soy-free, vegan (100% plant based), non-GMO, gluten-free, contain no artificial preservatives, no artificial colors, no MSG, they are free of trans fats, and they are cholesterol free. These also contain no added sugar. Nothing about them is artificial. Nothing.

Nutritionally speaking, a serving size of Sophie’s Breaded Vegan Calamari is 4 pieces (or about 3 ounces). This serving size will dish you up 210 calories and 9 grams of fat. You will also be taking in 250 mg sodium and only 2 grams of sugar. Love that! In addition, you will be consuming 4 grams of fiber and 4 grams of protein. Trust me…you will feel full after eating these. But deliciously full!

I have become a huge fan of Sophie’s Kitchen Vegan Seafood items. The Breaded Vegan Calamari ranks right up there as one of the best products in the lineup. Try it. Even if you aren’t a vegan, you might appreciate a healthier, and environmentally-friendly seafood. You won’t be disappointed. Trust me!

Sophie's Kitchen Breaded Vegan Calamari (served with marinara sauce) — Sophie’s Kitchen Breaded Vegan Calamari (baked) (served with marinara sauce)

March 29, 2014

Product Review: Katz Gluten Free Cinnamon Raisin English Muffins

Product: Katz Gluten Free Cinnamon Raisin English Muffins – $4.99

When it comes to gluten-free goodies…it doesn’t get much better than Katz Gluten Free. Honestly. I have never, ever, ever, ever, ever…etc. been disappointed by anything that I have ordered from Katz Gluten Free on their Web site. In fact, I strongly encourage others to take the plunge and try some of Katz Gluten Free products. If you are lucky, you won’t have to always order online. Perhaps one of your local natural food stores carries some of their products. Which is great…if that is the case.

For me…I can find the pies and the breads…but for the most part…my luck stops there. So when something else catches my eye…that’s when I hit the Web site to place an order.

Trust me…you won’t ever regret hitting that check out button.

This time, after ordering the Gluten-Free Large Braided Challah Loaf, I figured I’d order a few extra items in order to round out the amount I was spending to get free shipping. I was over halfway there with just the challah…so I felt it was worth it. After perusing the items available, I made a decision to try the Katz Gluten Free Cinnamon Raisin English Muffins.

Now, I’ve tried their Gluten Free Original English Muffins before and absolutely loved them. They taste like real English muffins. Perhaps even better. So, since I love cinnamon raisin things, I figured this would be right up my alley to try. Since I was out of town and don’t have a CSA bin to prepare meals from this week, my gym mornings were spent noshing down on things in my freezer. One such item…the Katz Gluten Free Cinnamon Raisin English Muffins.

I pulled two of the English muffins (one for me and one for my roomie) out the night before to thaw in a plastic bag. I sliced them in half before packing them up while I went to the gym. I got into office after my sweat session and put these on a dedicated plate, put them in the toaster oven, and let them get all toasty and golden and warm. It took about 8 minutes from the time I put them in the toaster oven.

When they came out, they were golden and gorgeous…and smelling like cinnamon rolls. No…seriously. And we all know I love my cinnamon rolls. I put a little butter and honey on one half…and on the other half I tried out a new kind of almond butter (Wild Friends Vanilla Espresso Almond Butter). I served up a plate to my roommate and went to tuck into my hard-earned brekkies.

First bite and I was hooked. I started with the side with the butter and honey, knowing the flavor would shine through more. I was totally right about that. I loved the hint of spice from the cinnamon and the sweetness from the raisins. The texture was light…airy…perfect. These are in no way dense at all. They have the right amount of heft to them. And…that cinnamon raisin flavor is outstanding. When I tried it with the super-special almond butter, I might have fallen deeper in love. These English muffins are fantastic. Katz did amazing things with the original flavor. They are doing even better things with the Gluten Free Cinnamon Raisin English Muffins. I am hooked. And now I wish I had ordered more. Dang it.

Let’s talk ingredients. Katz Gluten Free puts the following into their Gluten Free Cinnamon Raisin English Muffins: gluten free flour (mix of potato flour and rice flour), water, potato starch, quinoa, tapioca starch, canola oil, sugar, dry yeast, baking powder, guar gum, salt, corn flour, cinnamon, and raisins. They are completely cholesterol free, gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free, dairy-free, and egg-free.

Nutrition-wise, these are actually really good on the dietary scale. For English muffins that is. One serving of Katz Gluten Free Cinnamon Raisin English Muffins is one English muffin. This will provide you with 170 calories and 3.5 grams of fat. You will also be taking in 260 mg sodium and 7 grams of sugar. Not bad for a gluten-free baked item. Honestly. In addition, you will be consuming 2 grams of fiber and 2 grams of protein.

Seriously…if you love English muffins…you will definitely fall in love with these. Katz Gluten Free really knows how to put a quality item out on the market. And if you can’t find these in your local natural foods store…go to their Web site and place an order. I promise, you won’t ever regret doing that! I never do. And all I get out of it is tasty gluten-free goodies.

Nothing wrong with that.

March 28, 2014

Product Review: Conte’s Gluten-Free Potato and Onion Pierogi

Product: Conte’s Gluten-Free Potato and Onion Pierogi – $6.99+

Dear Gluten-Free Gods of Food and Consumables:

THANK YOU!

Seriously…from the bottom of my gluten-free, vegetarian, foodie heart…THANK YOU!!

Thank you for bringing a company like Conte’s to the gluten-free world. Because, my dear Gods of Awesomesauce…Conte’s hasn’t failed me yet on foods that I used to be able to eat and thought were off limits…until they turned up in a freezer section somewhere. The world just seems right again. And I couldn’t imagine my gluten-free life without Conte’s in it. For real.

So…again…THANK YOU!!

Love,
Me

Honestly…my love letter about Conte’s could go on and on and on and on and on and on and on…

But I’ll stop there because there is a reason I am falling all over myself to praise this company and their foods. Because they made me able to eat pierogies again. Yes…pierogies. Those little pockets of potato…delicious. I ate the hell out of them growing up. They were one of my favorite side dishes to eat with my dinner. And when I went gluten-free…I attempted to make them once. It wasn’t an epic fail…but it wasn’t a complete success either.

Conte’s did the hard part for me. I just didn’t know these even existed until I was taken to this great little natural food store in Columbus, Ohio…called The Raisin Rack…by my friend Jenn. Oh…the trouble and budget-busting I got into there. I might have broken my roommate’s wallet. But she did, in all fairness, hand me a basket and tell me to fill it up. Jenn said we could “Tetris the shit out of that” and so we did. And with it…frozen foods. This meant getting a cooler too…but that was no biggie.

In the frozen section I spotted this teal bag…and it was Conte’s (who makes the awesome cheese ravioli I use all the time). But these weren’t ravioli. No, no, my dear readers. This was so much better than ravioli. This was GLUTEN-FREE PIEROGIES!!! You better believe that bag went into the basket. Along with other things. And I might have carried a few items too…and cheated a little. But…I got away with it in the end. HA!

Well…fast forward to returning home from a weekend away. No CSA bin this week because we were out of town. BOOO! Also, making up hours at work meant long work days and staying late. So, the other night, the roomie and I got home and I went to find something easy to make from either the pantry, fridge, or freezer. My roommate originally said she wanted pasta…but she came back out to the kitchen and said…

“I want the pierogies.”

I was hoping she would say that. Secretly.

So…out came a big pan, which I filled with water and seasoned with salt. I brought it up to a boil and soon added the Conte’s Gluten-Free Potato and Onion Pierogies. I gave them a stir and let them cook away, stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes. As they boiled away, I got out my sautée pan and melted a tablespoon of butter. I drained the pierogies and then carefully placed them into the pan to let them get a bit of a crunch on them. I always remember my mom cooking ours in a skillet as well. I love that rich, buttery crust that adds a bit of flavor to the little pillows of potato. Mmmm…

They smelled amazing as they cooked away. I flipped them over after a couple of minutes, not wanting to burn them, and cooked the other side. Then…I dished them up and dinner was served.

My roommate actually beat me to the first bite. And she was a huge fan. This definitely bode well in my eyes. I settled into my plate and took a bite too.

Fantastic. Great texture. Amazing flavor. I loved how the dough was soft, but had that nice crust on it from the pan fry that I gave it. The potato and onion filling was seasoned perfectly. It was everything I remember pierogies being…which was so good. So very good. I devoured these…in record time, I do believe. And I kept reminiscing about my mom preparing pierogies for us…and how much I loved them. And now, thanks to Conte’s…I can once again. And I am beyond impressed with how these turned out. They are a bit delicate…so be prepared for them to start to fall apart. But…that’s not unusual for gluten-free products such as this. The main thing was…they were awesome. And I am one happy girl…hoping to be able to find these…somewhere…locally.

Let’s talk ingredients, shall we? Conte’s Gluten-Free Potato and Onion Pierogies are made from a gluten-free flour mix (rice flour, corn starch, tapioca dextrin, xanthan gum), eggs, water, salt, vegetable oil, potatoes, onions, water, salt, and black pepper. That’s it. Seriously. Clean eating in a package! These are gluten-free, wheat free and casein free. They are also made in a dedicated gluten-free facility.

As for the nutrition facts…a serving size is 4 ounces, or 4 pierogies. This serving will give you 180 calories and 1.5 grams of fat. These gluten-free pierogies also serve up 45 mg cholesterol, 110 mg sodium, and 1 gram of sugar. Seriously…not bad. You also are provided with 3 grams of fiber and 3 grams of protein. Trust me…you will feel full. My roommate and I split the bag and it made for a perfect size dinner. Perfectly delicious!!

I hope that I can find these in a local store, because I’m already craving them again. If not…I know where to get them in Columbus…but I don’t get up there often enough to satisfy my want of gluten-free pierogies. Believe me…now that I’ve had them…it’s all I want.

Conte’s wins me over once again with their amazing product. If you can find Conte’s Gluten-Free Potato and Onion Pierogies…buy them. Make them. Devour them. But do enjoy them. Because…trust me…you will!!